This invention relates generally to slide fasteners and more particularly concerns devices facilitating the operation of such fasteners.
With the introduction of the zipper to the back of women's clothing, a designer principle seems to have been simultaneously advanced as follows: "The pull tab of the slide fastener must always be out of reach." The resulting frustration has generated a multitude of responsive devices.
Most of these incorporated some form of hook connected to the end of a cord or rod or the like so that, when the hook was inserted in the aperture of the pull tab on the zipper slide, the user could pull up or down on the extension to close or open the zipper. However, open ended hook arrangements were often found to be more frustrating than the original problem because of the difficulty in keeping the hook engaged with the tab. Without constant tension on the extension, the hook slips out of the tab, leaving the user with the more frustrating task of trying to reengage the hook in a tab which was inaccessible in the first place.
Given this new difficulty, devices including moving parts for detachably connecting the hook to the tab were tried. While they generally solved the problem of the easily releasing hook, they created the added inconvenience of complicated manipulation in connecting and disconnecting the hook and tab. Furthermore, they made the zipper pull device comparatively more expensive, complicated and breakable.
Another problem with the open hook devices was that they frequently caught or snagged the user's clothing, making them awkward to use and sometimes causing damage to the apparel. As a result, such devices were sometimes provided with various types of shields to prevent the hook from catching on the apparel or even the skin of the user. These adaptations also further complicated the structure and operation of the device.
When not in use, if these complex devices were stored in a convenient place such as a closet or drawer where apparel was also stored, they tended to catch or snag the stored apparel. The cord type devices also tended to tangle in their own parts.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a zipper pull having no moving parts. It is another object of this invention to provide a zipper pull which will not catch in or snag the user's apparel or skin. A further objective of this invention is to provide a zipper pull which may be easily and rapidly attached to and detached from a zipper pull tab. However, it is also an object of this invention to provide a zipper pull which will not inadvertently be detached from a zipper pull tab after it has been attached. Another object of the invention is to provide a zipper pull that is adapted to be easily and conveniently stored when not in use. A further object of this invention is to provide a zipper pull which consists of a single piece construction.